The 2026 HOT ROD Power Tour celebrates Route 66's 100th anniversary, running June 8-12, 2026, from Illinois to Oklahoma, stopping at Route 66 Raceway (IL), Rantoul (IL), WWT Raceway (MO), Missouri State University (MO), and Tulsa Raceway Park (OK), offering driving, racing, and car show fun along the historic "Mother Road". 

Dates & Route:

• June 8 (Kickoff): Route 66 Raceway, Joliet, IL

• June 9: Village of Rantoul, Rantoul, IL

• June 10: World Wide Technology Raceway, St. Louis, MO

• June 11: Missouri State University, Springfield, MO

• June 12 (Finale): Tulsa Raceway Park, Tulsa, OK 

Key Features:

• Route 66 Centennial: The tour commemorates the historic highway's 100th anniversary.

• Activities: Expect drag racing, autocross, and massive car show displays at each stop.

• Participation: Options include "Long Hauler" for the full trip or single-day passes for local fun. 

How to Join/Get Info:

• Check HOT ROD Network and Engine Builder Magazine for official registration and full details as they become available. 

https://www.hotrod.com/events/2026-hot-rod-power-tour-route-66-dates-locations

I am in. Registration does not yet appear to be open yet. Driving Route 66 from Joilet to Tulsa could be way cool!

Edited December 16, 2025Dec 16 by Frosty

Hey Frosty,

Thank you for this. That Tulsa stop seals the deal for me to drive up from here in the Catalina for the family that sold me the Cat to see it running again. The original dealership that sold this car is also there in Tulsa.

Rick

That would be cool to meet up in Tulsa. Tulsa has a beautiful botanical garden along the Missouri River too.

Registration for Hot Rod Power Tour starts next week. Who is going? Even for a single stop? I am. Not sure if it will be Violet or perhaps Lucy this year.

HOTRODPowerTour.US

Edited January 8Jan 8 by Frosty

I will certainly make all efforts to go for that last stop in Tulsa and I will buy the Single Day ticket.

Rick

Wow. Registration officially opened today and the platinum and gold long haul packages are already sold out. I was going to register for gold again and it's already sold out. So I signed up for the Long Haul again.

Hello Frosty,

I just want to participate at the very end in Tulsa and will either buy a Single Day ticket or do the free spectator thing.

Rick

No worries Rick. I am registered for the whole thing. We can make plans to hook up later on. I am look forward to meeting you.

Keep an eye out frosty alot of people will sell the gold when they cant make it. ie life getting in the way. Good luck.

I know Joe. I will keep a look out.

I am pissed because I am learning that Hearst/Hot Rod actually opened registration before Monday. Past platinum attendees got an email about an early registration opportunity but it seems it was not locked down to just platinum registration. So other people got wind by word of mouth (e.g. social media) and registered early too. That ticks me off.

I booked my hotel rooms today. I have not figured out where I am staying Friday night. After the stop at Missouri State University, I plan to cannonball down Route 66 to Tulsa and spend Thursday night in Tulsa and sleep in a little. I will meet up with B52 and then head home. Per Google Maps, Tulsa to Michigan is a 14 hour drive. I suspect I will need to catch some sleep somewhere.

My fear is that the Michigan Widetrackers Dustoff could be that Saturday after Power Tour. If I stop somewhere for the night, I won't be home for the Dustoff in time. If I drive straight thru, I won't be home until well after 2 am and then have to be at the Dustoff around 7-8 a.m. Ugh. I am not looking forward to that cannonball drive home.

It’s the end of January and platinum, gold, and now long haul packages are completely sold out. Multi-day and single day packages are all that is left.

Edited January 28Jan 28 by Frosty

Hey B52bombardier

Are you still planning on coming to Tulsa? Power Tour starts in two weeks!

Hello,

Oh yes. Looking forward to it and with the same goals in mind. Meeting you, letting the widow lady that I bought it from see it all cleaned up and running again, and getting the car to the selling dealership so they can see it.

And then also doing some Route 66 travel a little east and west of Tulsa. I think we are IVO the Tulsa area from 8 June through the 12th or so but its something like that. Plenty of time to find you.

We have also booked our flights to Detroit for the week of the Woodward Dream Cruise - a little either side of 15 August.

Rick

Less than a week to go. I am getting excited. I just hope I can shake this head cold/sinus infection that my loving grandson gave me and grandma.

Yes, starting to do final maintenance checks on the Catalina prior to the trip - a little less than 300 miles from here. As we get a little closer, I will send you my cell phone number in a PM for the meet up in Tulsa.

Rick

Youll be fine frosty. be glad the germ machines gave it to you early rather than the day before ya leave! 3 grandkids here i know what kind of plague they carry around!

I was around two of my under three year old rug rats last week. Great kids but there's no telling what they come home from day care with.

Rick

Yup, that is were all this shit started - daycare. Which happens to be my next door neighbors’ house, she runs a licensed daycare.

Funny how Mom and Dad have not gotten it yet.

Mom and Dad . . . are already immune.

Rick

But I'll never trade away the days spent teaching my 2.5-year-old grandson how to feed a Hot Wheels car into the battery powered track launcher just so we could watch the car knock down a big roll of paper towels. Oh, the endless laughter.

I smile every time I think about that.

Rick

Power Tour has officially started. I was up at 4:30 a.m., out the door justa before 6 am EDT. I made a beeline to Chicago even though credential pickup was at Chicagoland Speedway in Joilet IL. My plan was to start in Chicago and follow-up Route 66 all the way to Chicagoland, which is on Route 66. I downloaded an app for $20 that gives me a week's worth of turn by turn navigation and has highlighted key points of interest. Well that was the plan......

The plan nor the app anticipated some sort large run/walk/festival near Grant Park / Solider Field. So streets were blocked up and I had to detour around the area 4 times to final take pictures of the start and end spots of Route 66. Because of one-way streets, the start (westbound) and the end (eastnound) are not in quite the same place, but they are close.

I felt like I was re-living the Blue Brothers movie driving underneath the elevated subway lines. Leaving Chicago was a whole other matter. The constant stop lights, every block it seems. Suffice to say have a stick shifter car in downtown Chitown is NOT a good idea,

Leaving Michigan - entering Indiana

Leaving Indiana - Entering Illinois

Not a pleasant day for some folks on the southbound Dan Ryan. I hope no one was hurt seriously.

Chicago's skyline comes into view.

Lake Shore Dr/Michigan Ave looks pleasant enough.

Solider Field - home of the Chicago Bears

Here are the official start and end signs for Route 66 (west vs east bound). Start is on Lake Short Dr, stop is on Jackson Ave. Close to each other but not exact.

Navigating this part of Chitown reminds of the Bluesmobile trying to get away from Carrie Fisher.

TIme to get out of town - literally!

More from Day Zero

This picture needs some context since I was not able to photograph this cleanly or correctly while driving. In the background, you see a small ridge line. That ridge was once part of Route 66 (a.k.a. Joilet Road). However it is completely abandon and no cars are permitted on it. There is some sort of quarry on either side of the road and the quarry mined both sides of the road. Now the road foundation is unstable and will, in time, fall into the quarry.

You see a lot of Jake and Elwood around these parts.

Dick's Towing - this is once I had to actual stop and look around.

Old Packard

Yup, that's a Pontiac Torpedo alright.

I finally made it to Chicagoland Speedway. Here are just some of the cars I saw briefly while getting my credentials.

Then it started raining.....hard!

So what do you do when it's pouring rain on ROute 66. Check into your hotel and then head for the Pontiac Oakland Auto Museum in Pontiac IL. I have covered this place before, so I just quickly took some snap shots of some of the cool stuff.

A Canadian-only Firefly

Edited 6 hours ago6 hr by Frosty

10 hours ago, Frosty said:

Solider Field - home of the Chicago Bears

Not any more

Before the pandemic, I was in Chicago at least once a quarter for work. Since, its been less due to financials but I remember, getting stuck in traffic, we were going maybe 10-12 miles and it took 2 hours. Never complained again about traffic in my city.

Great photos! Keep 'em coming! Love the history and cars!